The Hobbit or There and Back Again. by TOLKIEN, J. R. R - 1937

London: George Allen & Unwin Ltd,, 1937. In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit First edition, first impression, in the first issue jacket, of "the outstanding British work of fantasy for children to appear between the two World Wars, and the first of a series of books which eventually brought Tolkien world-wide fame and created a cult following" (Carpenter & Prichard). Keen to draw similarities with Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, the publishers claimed parallels between Lewis Carroll and J. R. R. Tolkien. Unfortunately, the blurb on the rear inside flap of the first issue of the dust jacket incorrectly cites the author of Alice as "Dodgeson". This required a correction in ink by hand, as in this copy. Tolkien first scribbled the opening lines of The Hobbit in the late 1920s or early 1930s: "in a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit..." The narrative developed into a tale told to the Tolkien children by their father and he continued to work on it without thought of publication. During the winter of 1932, an incomplete typescript was read by Tolkien's friend and Oxford colleague, C. S. Lewis. By the start of 1936, the narrative broke off at the death of Smaug and a friend of one of Tolkien's pupils, who worked for the publishers Allen & Unwin, read it. She suggested that Tolkien complete the story and submit it to be considered for publication. Tolkien set to work and had nearly finished the story by August that year, sending the typescript to the publishers on 3 October. Production of the book took several months with significant time devoted to the illustrations. Tolkien prepared more than 100 of his own illustrations, although he realised that this number would have to be greatly reduced for publication. Tolkien was also responsible for the dust jacket design, depicting the mountains of Bilbo Baggins's journey in a remarkable night and day combination. It is described by Alan Powers as "stylized art nouveau". The first edition was published on 21 September 1937, and the first impression of 1,500 copies was sold out by December. C. S. Lewis reviewed the book for The Times Literary Supplement on 2 October 1937. He suggested that both The Hobbit and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland "both belong to a very small class of books which have nothing in common save that each admits us to a world of its own - a world that seems to have been going on before we stumbled into it but which, once found by the right reader, becomes indispensable to him". Lewis continued, "to define the world of The Hobbit is, of course, impossible, because it is new. You cannot anticipate it before you go there, as you cannot forget it once you have gone". "Prediction is dangerous," concluded Lewis, "but The Hobbit may well prove a classic". Octavo. Original green cloth, spine and front cover lettered in dark blue, binding with design in dark blue, map endpapers printed in black and red, top edge green. With dust jacket. Frontispiece and nine illustrations by the author. Head and foot of spine slightly bumped, sections of spine and extremities slightly sunned, minor nick to foot of rear cover, foxing to edges, some toning and foxing to jacket, sections at head and foot of spine professionally restored, price-clipped; a very good copy which presents well. Hammond & Anderson A3a. Humphrey Carpenter & Mari Prichard, The Oxford Companion to Children's Literature, 1984, p. 254; Grolier Children's 100, 81; C. S. Lewis, "A World for Children", The Times Literary Supplement, 2 October 1937, p. 714; Alan Powers, Front Cover, 2001, p. 24.